Abstract:

Background: Individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities are vulnerable
to potentially traumatic events and trauma sequelae. Despite ongoing advances
surrounding trauma and intellectual/developmental disabilities, trauma‐specific
treatments are needed for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities. This
study explores the first implementation of Progressive Counting (PC), a novel trauma
treatment, with people with intellectual/developmental disabilities.

Methods: A case series with descriptive analyses was used to explore the implementation
and effectiveness of PC among four adults with intellectual/developmental
disabilities and trauma histories.

Findings: PC was associated with reductions in symptoms and increased quality of
life. Although individual experiences required modest adaptations to the intervention,
PC was generally well‐tolerated and required a limited number of treatment
sessions.

Conclusions: PC demonstrates promise as a trauma‐specific treatment. Additional
research with increased methodological rigor is warranted to further establish its
efficacy. Recommendations for future research and practice are provided.